On the matter of my Mayan ancestry, I note with interest and pride the frequent occurrence of
televised documentaries on the Maya of Central America. A program featured the ruins of
Caracol, Belize, and the archaeological findings of the Chases at Caracol. They are a husband
and wife team of archaeologists from southern Florida, USA. Another documentary showed the
Mayan artifacts discovered in a limestone cave in Belize by a Belizean family. The artifacts
and the cave remain virtually undisturbed and great tourist attractions. On another visit to
Belize I will visit these sites.
The book The Maya: Historical Chapters Since Columbus written by Sir Eric Thompson was
enjoyable and enlightening. I recall my lectures on Belizean history given by the librarian
Mr. Bradley at the Belize Technical College Sixth Form. Firstly, the Maya of Belize never
surrendered to neither Spanish nor British colonists. They may have lost a few battles being
out-gunned but they also won some battles. What is important is that they always valued their
freedom.
I calculate that during the harassment of the Yucatecan Maya by the Icaiche Maya under their
leader Marcus Canul, most of the so-called Yucatecan Mexican Mayans arriving in the Cayo District were
Yucatecan Maya seeking a safe haven. This was around 1875-77 when most of our Mexican Mayan
great grandparents were youngsters. This is the ancestry of Papa Che, my Mayan maternal
grandfather. It is a great loss to the Cayo Mayans that they no longer have their Yucatecan
Mayan language and culture. I make an assumption here based on my long term memories that Papa
Che is Yucatecan Maya by descent. Anyone who knows otherwise please inform me.
Now, the Peten Itza Maya, called Chan Maya by Thompson also settled in Benque, Succutz and
Cayo. The Spanish colonists headquartered in Bacalar, Yucatan, had subjugated the Itza in and
around Tayasal (Flores). Those Chan Maya who could not compromise their freedom came to Cayo.
The Chan Maya and the Mopan Maya therefore appear to be synonymous. This is the ancestry of
Mamacita, my Mayan maternal grandmother. They also are fully integrated into our Belizean
culture.
My paternal grandmother, Mama Nancha, is Quiche Mayan. She came to Belize seeking refuge from
a repressive Guatemalan regime that had no humanity or justice for the indigenous Maya. The
Quiche Maya treasure their freedom and to this day still die for this freedom. She lost her
first-born sole daughter to the feudal Guatemalan system (I will recount my version of this
story on another occasion). Her son, my father, and all her grandchildren are now imbued with
this lust for freedom. Here I modify Daddy’s words to me and state my DePaz maxim: “Its better
to be the head of a free mouse than the tail of an incarcerated lion.”
It is now clear to me how and why a remote rural town like Cayo could have remained in
political opposition for so many years despite disadvantages. The disadvantages were material.
The benefits were of the spirit. The people of Cayo are a self-reliant, hardy, hard-working,
freedom-loving bunch. Their idol is freedom. It gives me great pride to say Cayo is my
hometown.
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